Strip feed mechanism



D CI

Sept. l, 1931.

B. R. SCHNEIDER STRIP FEED MECHANISM Filed Nov. 12, 1928 sheets-sheer 1 m( ATTORNEY,

2v sheets-sheer 2 Filed Nov. l, 1928'.

pmb

Nm v

a i lNv ENT R 717.

Patented Sept. 1, 19.31

BERNARD R. SCHNEIDER, OF LYN'DHURST, NEW JERSEY STRP FEED MECHANISM Application filed November 12, 1928. Serial No. 318,889.

The invention relates to mechanism for .feeding strips of sheet materia-l, and especially impression paper of the class generally known as roll leaf, for application of metallic or other decorative indicia or designs to various articles, such as book covers.

The general object is to provide relatively simple mechanism for positively feeding one orany reasonable number of strips of the impression material and for easily regulating the length of each strip which is fed at each action of the mechanism.

The mechanism is adapted or adaptable for 'application to or incorporation in almost any type of press, such as embossing presses or lprinting presses of various types, as will be readily understood by skilled persons after consideringl the following description.

The invention structure as briefly described, comprises a frame which may be connected to the die support of almost any type of press, a main feed roll, and any reasonable number of independently adjustable feed units, each including a movable roll to co-operate with the main roll, with means for regulating the duration `of contact of each individual feed roll with the main roll during each feeding action, whereby to control the length of each individual strip that 3.0- is advanced in relation to the corresponding die, .in order to present a fresh impression surface for the next impression, and without waste of the strip. i rllhe characteristics and advantages ofthe invention are further suiciently explained in connection with the following detail description of the accompanying drawings which illustrate certain representative embodiments. After considering these eXam 40 ples, skilled persons will understand that many variations may be made without departing from the principles involved, and I contemplate the employment of any structures that are properly within the scope of the appended claims.

Fig. l is a side elevation of mechanism embodying the invention in one form, as applied to an impression or embossing press;

Fig. 2 isa plan View, with partsbroken' away;

- practicable arrangement ofthe dies.

Fig. 3 is a sectional 'View on line 3 3 of Fig. 2; and f Fig. l is a schematic View, showing manner of connecting the feed mechanism to a simple type of printing press, commonly called a handapresst Referring to Figs. 1, 2 and 3:

Side frame members l are bolted to the sides of the die support 2 ofva press, the press shown being an impression or embossing t@ 'press Otherwise the part 2 may be the bed of a printing press of any of variousY types. 'llhe platen 3 in the present case moves vertically to bring the book cover 4c, or other article to receive the impression, in contact @5 with the impression strips located between 1t and one or more dies 5 secured to the die holder.

'llhe side frame members 1 are connected by cross bar 6. At one end, each of the frame members 1 has an extension or bracket 7, these supporting a shaft 8 on which are ad,- justably mounted short sleeves 9 carrying Hat spring arms l0, in the end of which the spools or rolls 11 of strip impression material, such .75 as roll leaf, are mounted, each roll being mounted between a pair of spring arms, which are held in adjusted position by set screw 100:- to support and apply slight frictional resistance to rotation of the roll as the 8@ strip 12 of impression material is drawn from it and guided by a guide roll 13, adjacent the face of the corresponding die 5.

Bar 6 supports side frame members 15 in which a main feed roll 16 ismounted on a 85 shaft 17 supported .in bearings 18. Themain roll may be of wood, rubber composition or other suitable material, and extends across the width of the platen, so that in cooperation with the movable feed rolls later referred to, one or any reasonable number of separate strips of impression material of various widths may be fed across the faces of the dies, in accordance with any usual or A'rock shaft 25 is mounted for oscillation in bearings 26 of frame members 15. This shaft has on one side a spline channel, or continuous key-way, 27. A plurality of feed units, each designated asa whole as 28, are 10il mounted on this rock shaft. Each of these carrying a stub shaft 34 on which an individ` ual feed roll 35 is revolubly mounted. The

' sleeve`32 also has a-rearwardly projecting arm 36. underlying the central portion of yoke 30 which is arranged as a threaded sleeve 37 to receive a feed-adjusting screw 38, the lower end of which bears against arm 36. The screw is retained in adjusted position in any suitable way, as by aset-screw 39, or preferably in some cases, the periphery of its head 40 is serrated, and the serrations are engaged by a retaining spring 41 secured to sleeve 37. One hub sleeve 29 has a lug 42 located above a lug 43 on arm 33, and an expansive spring 44 is placed between these lugs and held in position by studs 45.

At one end, outside one of the frame members 15, an arm is secured to shaft 25. This arm has a cam roll 52 running in a cam groove 53 formed eccentrically in one face of a gear 54 supported on a shaft 55, thecam groove being eccentric to the shaft center. This cam groove may be of true eccentric form, as shown, or may be otherwise contoured to secure the desired feed action. Shaft 17 is driven from shaft 55 by a ear 54 o'n the latter engaging a pinion 56 on s aft17, the pinion being one-half the diameter of t-he gear, inthe present instance, so that roll 16 makes two revolutions for each revolution of shaft 55. Shaft 55 is driven by a sprocket 55a and chain 555 from a sprocket on the main cam shaft of the press at a ratio ofone to one; that is, shaft 55 makes one revolution for each cycle of the press. The diameter of the main feed roll 16 is such that in a maximum feed action, that is when one of the individual feed rolls 35 is pressed against it during one full rotation of the main roll corresponding to a full rotation of the cam shaft, the l-length of the strip feed will be equal t0 the full length of the die area in' the direction of strip movement, thus providing, for eX- ample, for a die which extends the maximum length in the direction of strip feed, as along one side of abook cover.

Any known or suitable strip take-up mechanism may be provided, such for example, as

a re-wind shaft supported in frame members 15 and driven by gear 61 from gear 54. Paper cores are placed on re-wind shaft 60 and frictionally driven therefrom in any known or suitable way, the slip of the cores on the shaft compensating for the varying diameter of the rolls as waste strip material j ustment is made by rotation of screw 38, thus elevating or depressing the individual feed roll in relation to the main roll, arm 36 being always held in engagement with the end of the adjusting screw by spring 44. For a maximum feed action equal to the full length of the die surface in the direction of feed,

j the adjusting screw will be rotated until arm 36 engages sleeve 37, and the individual feed roll 35 will then be (in its idle position) close to the surface of the main roll 16. As the platen retreats from the die, cam 53 revolves from the position of Fig. 1 and acts through cam roll 52 and arm 50 to oscillate rockI shaft 25 in the direction of the arrow, thus bringing the individual feed roll into contact with the strip 12 and pressing the `strip against the main feed roll, which thereupon advances the strip, which is taken up on one of the cores or spools on shaft 60. After the individual feed roll is in active or feeding position, shaft 25 continues to oscillate in the same direction, with accompanying compression of spring 44, and the end of the adjusting screw moves away from the arm 36, until the cam reaches a position diaf metrically opposite to that shown in Fig. 1.

The rock shaft 25 then commences to move in the opposite direction, and when the rotation of the cam is nearly completed, as the platen approaches the die, the end of the adjusting screw, or sleeve 37, if the adjustment is for maximum feed as now described, strikes arm 36 and roll 35 is elevated, stopping thevfeed action. For any shorter strip feed the adjusting screw is rotated to move arm 36 more or'less away from sleeve 37, thus elevating the corresponding individual feed roll 35 (in its idle position), so that in the described cycle of operations the individual feed roll will reach feeding position at a later time and will thenicontinue in operation until the end of the adjusting screw strikes arm 36, whereupon the feed is discontinued. In other words, for each feed length less than the maximum length, the inception of the fee-d action is delayed a corresponding amount by the' positioning of the individual feed roll.

It is therefore evident'that while the individual feed units are simultaneously operated by simple mechanism, they are individually adjustable both 'as to the position of the strip or strips laterally of the die surface, and to control the amount of each strip i which is fed in each cycle of the press; also vio that one or more individual feed rolls may be used for each strip, depending on its width. The mechanism is therefore of practically universal character, readily adapted to a press of ractically any type, and to any practical die arrangement. v t It will be understood that the maximum amount of strip feed is dependent on the drive ratio of shaft 17 in relation to shaft 55, combined with the diameter of the main feed l roll 16; sothat by changing either the drive ratio or the.. diameter of the main roll, the maximum amount of strip feed in each cycle may be varied to suit the length-of the total die area (in the direction of strip feed), in adapting the mechanism to different sizes or types of presses, and in any case the actual amount of strip fed by each of the individual units, from the maximum amount to any desired minimum, may be regulated by adjusting the corresponding screw 40.

l l? ig. 4: shows in somewhat diagrammatic style the application of my feed mechanism to a simple hand printing press, the principal parts oftlie strip feed mechanism being designated by the same numerals as in the previous example. This hand pressisoperated by alever 70 fulcrumed at 71 on the base, and one to and fro movementof the lever corresponds to one single (up, and down movement of the platen) of the pressf A link. 72 is adjustably connected' at Zin a slot 74 on the lever and this link is prolvided with a rack`75 engaging a pinion 76,.which, in this case is revolubly mounted on shaft 17 and connected to the shaftby av one-way ratchet mechanism 77 so that' with the gear ratios described in connection with the other figures, Iwhen the lever is moved to operate v the platen, pinionifG-and shaft 1.7 are rotated two turns, corresponding to one turn of shaft 55', otherwise the pinion 76 and one-way clutch may be mounted on main shaft 55 andfrom the spirit of the' invention.

I claim:

1. Strip feed mechanism Acomprising a main feed roll, a plurality of individual feed units adjustable lengthwise of the roll, each unit including an individual feed roll to cooperate with the main roll, and means for simultaneously moving the individual feed ros to and from co-operation with the main ro 2. Strip feed mechanism comprising a main feed roll, a plurality of individual feed units adjustable lengthwise of the roll, each unit including an individual feed roll to cooperate with the main roll, means for simultaneously moving the individual feed rolls to and from co-operation with the main roll, and means for adjusting the individual feed rolls to control the duration of 'their contact with the main roll. A

3. Strip feed mechanism comprising a main feed roll, a lurality of individual feed units adjustable engthwise of the roll, each unit including an individual feed roll to cooperate with the main roll, means for simultaneously operating the individual units to move their feed rolls to and from feeding engagement with the mainroll. and means Iin each unit to initially position'itsfeed roll whereby to regulate the time of its contact with the main roll during each feed action.

4. Strip feed mechanism comprising a main feed roll, a roclr shaft, a plurality of individual feed units mounted thereon and adjustable lengthwise of the shaft, each unit including aA member oscillatable in relation to the shaft, a yfeed rollcarried by said member, and adjusting means to control the feed action. l v j 5. Strip feed mechanism comprising a main feed roll, a rock shaft, a pluralityofl individual feed units mounted thereon and adjustable lengthwise ofthe shaft, each unit j including a member oscillatable in relation to the shaft, a feed roll carried by said mem-y to the shaft, a feed roll carried by said member, adjustable means to control the feed action, and a cam for operating the roclr shaft, the cam being driven at one-half the speed of the main feed roll. i

' 7. Strip feed mechanism comprising a main feed roll, a rock shaft, a plurality of individuall feed units mounted thereon and adjustable lengthwise of the shaft, each unit including a member oscillatable in relation to. the shaft, a feed roll carried by said member, adjustable means to control the feed action, and a cam for operating the rock shaft, the cam being driven from the main feed roll andat one-half the speed thereof.

8. Strip feed mechanism comprising a les no y

main feed roll, a rock shaft, a plurality of individual feed units mounted thereon and adjustable lengthwise of the shaft, each unit including a member connected to move with the shaft and another member` oscillatable in relation to the shaft, a feed roll carried by the last named member, yielding means between the members, and means for adjusting the members in relation to each other to control the feed action.

9. Strip feed mechanism comprising a main feed roll, a rock shaft, a plurality of individual feed units mounted thereon and adjustable lengthwise of the shaft, each unit including a member connected to move with the shaft and another member oseillatable in relation to the shaft, a feed roll carried by the last named member, yielding means between the members, means for adjusting the members in relation to eachother to control the feed action, and means for oscillating the rock shaft.

l0. Strip feed mechanism comprising a main feed roll, a rock shaft, a plurality of individual feed units mounted thereon and adjustable lengthwise of the shaft, each unit including a member connected to move with the shaft and ano-ther member oscillatable in relation vtothe shaft, a feed roll carried by the last named member, yielding means between the members, means for adjustingthe members in relation to each other to control the feed action, and a cam for operating the -rock shaft, the cam being Idriven at one-half the speed of the main feed roll. 11. Strip feed mechanism comprising a main feed roll, a rock shaft, a plurality of I- individual feed units mounted thereon and adjustable lengthwise of the shaft, each unit including a member'connected to move with the shaft and another member oscillatable in relation to the shafta feed roll carriedby the last named member, yielding means between the members, means for adjusting the members in relation to each other to control the feed action, and a cam for operating the rock shaft, the cam being driven from the main feed ro'll and at one-half the speed thereof. In testimony whereof I have signed this speeiiication this 25th day of Oct., 1928.

j BERNARD R. SCHNEIDER. 

